The Home Depot and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia extended their agreement to offer Martha Stewart Living branded products in The Home Depot's 2,000-plus stores through March 2016.

The agreement also calls for an expansion of products offered.

The Martha Stewart Living line, launched in January 2010, is available in categories such as interior and project paint, outdoor furniture, kitchen cabinetry, carpeting and bath vanities. The new agreement will include these categories plus a new craft furniture line as well as a broader array of holiday merchandise.

KraftMaid, the industry’s largest cabinet manufacturer, has laid off 175 hourly workers at factories in Orwell and Middlefield, Ohio, according to an article in the Warren Tribune Chronicle.

A spokeswoman for parent company Masco told the newspaper that, "Prolonged economic conditions have severely impacted the housing market, whether new construction or remodeling. The current climate remains challenging."

The future will factor heavily in the education offered during the two-day HIRI Home Improvement Industry Summit to be held Oct. 19 to 20 in Chicago at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza, including a presentation from Walker Smith, executive chairman of The Futures Co.

Peter Kleinman has been promoted to the position of director of marketing for Leviton’s distribution channel.

In his new post, he will be reporting to William W. Marshall, Leviton’s senior VP sales and marketing. Kleinman will lead the marketing, branding and advertising for the company’s full line of products across the distribution sales channel.

The American Hardware Manufacturers Association’s AHMA Home Improvement Industry Confidence Index’s Current Situation Index declined in February to 229.2 from 270.8 in January (October 2008 = 100), while the Future Expectations Index also declined slightly to 246.6 from 250 a month earlier.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia posted sales and revenue declines in 2010, a transformative year for the multi-faceted company, according to Charles Koppelman, executive chairman and principal executive officer.

MSLO posted revenues of $230.8 million in 2010, down 5.6%. Operating loss for the full year was $8.7 million, compared with an operating loss of $12.0 million in 2009.